Daring Do and the Hunt for the Hippogriff's Harp

by Tyrael

Chapter 1

July 5th, 2013
Baltimare, Equestria

The taxi began to slow as it neared the destination, 1 Sea Mist Lane, a private residence on the shoreline of Baltimare. Baltimare was the second largest seaport and one of the largest cities in Equestria. The city had been built on the east shore of Equestria, off of Horseshoe Bay, and was well known for the variety of festivals it hosts. The taxi came to a stop at the end of a long, winding, cobblestone driveway. An ornate mailbox, shaped like a sphinx, could be seen at the end of the drive. It was marked 'D. Do' The cabbie looked back over his shoulder. "We're here, miss. That'll be twenty bits."

The teenaged hippogriff passenger, Marion Thunderstruck, plucked a handful of coins from a pouch and paid her fare. Marion was the descendant of Queen Rozenn Thunderstruck, an ancient hippogriff monarch. As the youngest of seven children, Marion knew it would be unlikely she would become queen, and so she had decided to travel the world instead of entering politics like her brothers and sisters. Marion's head and upper body were covered with ivory white feathers. The feathers of her wings were reddish brown with ivory white primary and secondary coverts, forming a strip of white feathers. Her coat was light brown and the hair of her tail was black. Her cutie mark consisted of a lightning bolt striking a tree.

The young hippogriff exhibited a pulchritude that some found irresistible, and despite her royal lineage she wasn't afraid of getting her talons dirty. For the last three years, Marion had been on a quest to find her ancestor's enchanted harp, which had disappeared while being transported to Canterlot, hundreds of years ago. Marion had pursued the scarce leads she had been able to find as to the harp, but had no luck recovering it. In desperation, she had obtained an audience with Princess Celestia, the long-lived pony royal who had been alive at the time of the harp's disappearance. Even Celestia claimed to have no knowledge of the harp's whereabouts, and so Marion had come to Baltimare in search of the one pony who might be able to help - the famous pegasus Daring Do.

Marion grabbed her briefcase and climbed out of the cab. "Thank you, sir."

Marion began to make her way towards the elegant stone mansion in the distance, the home of the legendary adventurer Daring Do. Marion had been raised in an extravagant palace, and had visited many more spectacular dwellings during her travels, but she had to pause for a moment and appreciate the home she saw before her. Made of limestone, the three-story mansion featured several towers and a plethora of jewel-like stained glass windows. A large stony balcony sat over the front doors, and in the back there was an enclosed porch that overlooked the bay.

Marion made her way to the entry way and was in awe of the cherry wood doors, which featured beautiful stained glass windows, upon which were scenes of some exotic jungle locale. Daring Do's cutie mark, a compass rose, was embossed on the door knobs, adding a unique, personal touch to the home. Marion knocked on the doors, but there was no response. She stood there for a few moments, admiring the intricate stonework of the house. She could hear faint music coming from out back of the house, and she decided to investigate.

Marion made her way down a cobblestone pathway towards the water and the source of the music. She could see a large boathouse in the same design as the mansion and headed towards it. The door was open and Marion peeked inside. She saw the phonograph that was playing the Glenn Muler Orchestra's 'In the Mood.' A rum runner boat, featuring a long narrow platform and a planing hull designed for maximum speed, was tied up in one of the slips. In the other, a twin-boom seaplane with a single, central nacelle was being worked on. It was a Forelockheed product, one of the Waterbolt line of seaplanes, which were based off of the legendary Lighting fighter craft of yore, and boasted similar performance characteristics, lessened by the floats.

The seaplane's noseart featured a treasure chest overflowing with jewels and gold doubloons and a stylishly painted name proclaimed it as the Adventure. Marion heard a metallic clang and looked towards the seaplane. Daring was working on one of the engines, the only visible part of her was her well-toned rump and hindquarters. Her tail was a greyscale rainbow of greys and black, a lovely combination with her golden yellow coat.

"Come on, baby, don't do this to me," Daring said as she smacked her wrench against the troublesome engine once more. One more hit, and the turbo-supercharged engine roared to life. Daring began to sputter and cough as she staggered back, her face covered in soot. Daring flapped her wings and leapt up to the cockpit, leaned in and shut off the engine. She saw Marion out of the corner of her eye and began wiping her face with a cloth as she made her way to the hippogriff.

"Sorry, for the intrusion, Miss Do. I need your help," Marion said.

Daring looked Marion over and gave her a grin. "A hippogriff, can't say I've seen too many of your kind." Daring held out her hoof. "Daring Do."

Marion shook the hoof. "Marion Thunderstruck."

Daring raised an eyebrow. "Thunderstruck, eh? Any relation to the royal family?"

"Yes, but don't worry about any formalities. I sure don't," Marion said.

Daring felt her stomach growling. She turned off the phonograph then started to wash her hooves in a sink. "Would you care to join me for lunch? We can discuss your matter at hoof over something to eat."

"That would be wonderful, thank you," Marion replied.

Daring dried off her hooves then picked up her trademark hat, a khaki pith helmet, and slipped it on. "Splendid! Let's head on up to the house."

Daring and Marion headed up to the house, which proved to be even more breathtaking on the inside. Daring gave her a quick tour of her home. The floors were parquet, a blend of oak and cherry. Trinkets, paintings, and random relics lined the walls, the bounty of a life of adventure. The first floor featured a kitchen, dining room, library, sitting room, and a stained glass-domed conservatory filled with exotic plants and trees that Marion couldn't identify. The second floor featured several bedrooms, including a glorious master bedroom with a large hot tub, and a large living room that led out onto the stone balcony Marion had seen on the way in. The third floor had at once been a ballroom, but Daring had converted it to a lounge and billiards hall. Staircases from the third floor led up into the towers. One had a study, another a bedroom, and the third was a scenic sitting room that provided a lovely view of Horseshoe Bay and the surrounding city.

Daring left her guest in the downstairs sitting room and went to prepare their lunch. Marion eagerly inspected the objects that were on display in a glass showcase. They included ancient golden coins, scrimshaw, carved stone idols, and even a skull made of crystal. Marion stared in wonder at the décor and blushed as she caught her gaze lingering upon a large oil painting of Daring in the buff. She heard the clip-clop of Daring's hooves and sat down to await her host.

Daring entered bearing a tray full of food. She had prepared a tomato and garlic soup, grilled asparagus, lettuce, and bell pepper sandwiches served on toasted French bread, and blackberry sorbet for dessert. She also had a pitcher of grape juice, which she poured into two glasses. The pair happily dug into their meal, eating in silence until Daring asked, "So, Marion, what would you like my assistance with?"

Marion looked into Daring's dark pink eyes. "My family really doesn't like this story being told, but you look like a good, trustworthy mare."

Daring flashed her a smile. "Thank you."

"Have you heard of the magical harp my people used to control the weather? Marion asked.

Daring nodded. "Indeed I have."

"Legend tells that the very first hippogriff's father was a musician, and her mother was a unicorn. Her parents combined their talents to produce the harp as testament to their love, just like their daughter. It was the symbol of my people for generations. Sadly, in the late 1400s it was lost," Marion explained.

Daring frowned. As an aficionado of relics, she had read of the harp before, and didn't recall any mentions of it being missing. "Lost? I've read about the history of that harp and don't remember it being lost."

"My people, in our shame, decided to cover up the loss of the harp. Those were different times. We already felt like second-class citizens, we did not want to be a laughingstock as well if the other peoples had learned we lost our prized possession," Marion sadly said.

"I'm pretty sure I know where this is going. I'll need to know everything about the loss of the harp if I'm to be able to find it," Daring said with a smile.

Marion opened her briefcase and pulled out a notebook and a bunch of old sepia photographs, then set them in front of Daring. The notebook contained her research on the harp, while the photos were rather disturbing shots of bog-preserved bodies of dogs and hippogriffs as well as an airship. "As you can see in my notes, the last known location of the harp was aboard the Half-Blood's Lament in 1476. They were bringing it to Canterlot so the queen could perform in concert. Somewhere along the way, they must have ran into trouble, as they never arrived."

Marion leaned forwards and browsed through the photos, selecting one that showed the airship. "The closest we've come to finding the harp was in 1923 when an expedition led by my great-great grandfather recovered this vessel out of the Froggy Bottom Bog."

Daring inspected the photographs. She was no stranger to the macabre, having explored many a tomb, but the photos of the bodies they recovered from the bog made her grimace. Marion pointed to one of the photos, which showed a collection of weaponry near preserved hippogriffs. "The arms and armor of the hippogriffs and dogs put them in the 1400s."

"The airship wasn't the Half Blood's Lament though, so what was it?" Daring asked.

"It appeared to be a pirate ship. Since hippogriffs were found aboard, we believe the pirates attacked the Lament and were defeated, but sadly they took some of our people with them. The Lament may have been badly damaged in the fight, but we've never found a single trace of her."

As they finished their lunch, Daring read over Marion's notes. She found the case very alluring. Not only were there pirates involved, and therefore a chance to find some treasure, but a magical relic was as well. Daring finished her sorbet and sipped at her juice. "Well, Miss Thunderstruck. You have my interest, and it would be my pleasure to help you find this harp."

"Thank you so much," Marion said with a smile.

"If you don't mind sharing your secret with another pony, I have a friend that may be able to offer us some insight," Daring said. "I imagine she'll be very eager to lend her expertise, she kind of has a thing for Forelockheed aircraft."

"A friend of yours is a friend of mine, I hope. If it helps find the harp, then I am all for it," Marion replied.

"Excellent. Lend me a hoof and we'll get these dishes cleaned up, then we'll head down to her house," Daring said.

A short while later the pair set off towards Baltimare's Inner Harbor. Sitting on a bench across the street, a cigarette smoking mare watched them with interest, peering over a newspaper through a pair of dark sunglasses. The mare had turquoise hair and a pale, bluish-white coat. Her cutie mark was of an arrowhead. As Daring and Marion rounded a corner, the mare rose and casually followed in their hoofsteps, making sure to stay far enough behind that they would not notice.

Author's Note:

The Argent Hippogryph is one of my favorite mounts in World of Warcraft, so I tried to give Marion those colors.

Daring's house is inspired by a place I remember visiting when I was little, the 1890 House museum.